


The Ol’ Switcheroo

by the_last_dillards



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crack Treated Seriously, Episode: s04e25 Body Parts, Mpreg, Multi, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:21:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29568822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_last_dillards/pseuds/the_last_dillards
Summary: Garak accompanies Keiko on a botanical survey of Torad Five. He ends up the lucky surrogate.
Relationships: Elim Garak & Keiko O'Brien, Elim Garak & Miles O'Brien, Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Comments: 42
Kudos: 67





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thank you to EctoGeo for betaing this first chapter!

Garak sat in the operating room's antechamber in a haze. It’d been a long time since he’d had an excuse to use a painkiller this strong—not since the incident with the wire at least—and the ability to lose his mind in it was a blessed relief. 

The lights might’ve been too bright and the air too cold but that all didn’t matter much now. Barely even noticeable, in fact. Those environmental tortures had been scrubbed away along with the newfound visceral ones, leaving him to sit numbly in an infirmary bed, mind blessedly empty of worries for once.

At least, until Miles O’Brien came storming in, looking frantic.

Everyone else was busy in surgery, leaving Garak the only one for the Chief to hurry up to, no pleasantries or unpleasantries to open the conversation before he asked, “Garak, where’s Keiko?”

“Oh, she’s still in surgery. But I’ve been assured she’ll be quite alright,” he answered distantly, distracted by the texture of the standard issue infirmary blanket laid over him. Had Ivarian cotton always been quite so interesting to run under his fingertips?

“And the baby?” 

The baby. Yes, how to explain its current whereabouts to the father? Garak certainly didn’t care to try. It all seemed too long and complicated for him to be bothered with right now. Best to let someone else deal with it. His mind worked sluggishly to think of some halfway plausible lie that would appease O’Brien.

The Chief took his silence for the worst. “My God.”

Garak held up a wavering hand. “Now, let’s not jump to any conclusions. Your child is quite alright.”

“You’re sure?” 

“Positive.”

O’Brien nodded tersely and then began pacing the room as they waited for any news about Keiko from the operating theatre.

Now burdened with the Chief’s unignorable presence, Garak’s mind couldn’t help but to wander towards matters he’d been trying to avoid—such as the series of events that had led him here.

It wasn’t often that Garak left Deep Space Nine. Mostly, he had very little reason to. His livelihood was here, and off-station there was always the increased danger of encounters with enemies or former rivals. And truth be told, as of late he couldn’t see much point in going anywhere that wasn’t the one place he longed to be but could never return to.

Still, when Keiko had asked him to come along to Torad Five to help her collect botanical samples, he couldn’t deny that there was a certain appeal to the prospect. A three day trip with Professor Ishikawa and Doctor Bashir for company—the few beings he dared called friends—to root among the dirt on a tropical planet under the open sky sounded like an excellent reason to close up shop for a few days.

He could never have anticipated the trip's ultimate conclusion. 

As a matter of principle, Garak always planned for the worst. There were a million things that could go wrong on any given day, not to mention one spent in the Gamma Quadrant, but a shuttle accident that ended with him carrying a human child was not one he had foreseen. (If given a choice, Garak would have gladly chosen prolonged torture at the hands of a former colleague than to find himself saddled with Miles O’Brien’s spawn.)

Garak could have refused, of course. It would’ve been the reasonable thing to do. After all, going through with the deed even temporarily meant that he was signing himself up for experimental surgery, playing host to an alien parasite, throwing his body into chaos, and altogether making himself vulnerable to attack. But then, if it hadn't been him, it would've been someone else. Namely, dear Julian. And there was so much unnecessary risk involved in having Julian perform surgery on himself, guiding Garak along where he could. (It didn't hurt either that Keiko O'Brien was an object for which Garak held a great and inexcusable affection and that in performing this duty for her, he could possibly spare her a great deal of heart ache.)

A thought occurred to him. Maybe he _should_ be the one to break the news to O’Brien. He was the one carrying his child. Wasn’t it human custom for someone in his position to reveal it to any other progenitors involved? And if learning the hard reality of their situation happened to upset the Chief in any way, caused an entertaining reaction, well, it was hardly Garak’s fault for doing his duty.

Garak followed the Chief’s movements with his eyes and found himself briefly distracted by the odd color and quality of his hair in the bright infirmary lights before recovering himself and asking, “Aren’t you going to ask me how I am, Chief?”

“We’re talking right now, aren’t we? You seem fine enough.” 

There was no break in his step. Barely even a glance in Garak's direction.

A self-satisfied smirk crept onto his face, the thrill of knowing something important that the Chief didn’t.

O’Brien stopped abruptly, eyes narrowed at Garak in suspicion. “What?”

“I’m sorry?” Garak blinked.

“You’ve got a look on your face. If you’ve lied to me just now about my wife or my baby...”

“I haven’t lied in the slightest, my dear, _dear_ Chief O’Brien.”

“You’re not telling me something.” 

There was a pause, both staring the other down as Garak kept up his facade of innocence. His attention couldn’t help but to wander back to that alien hair.

It was the Chief who broke first. “Please, Garak. I know we haven’t always gotten on as the best of pals, but this my family we’re talking about. What if it were yours? I wouldn’t hold back anything,” he begged.

Garak tilted his head graciously. “Well, seeing as you’ll be finding out soon enough anyways; I realize this may be hard for you to accept, but I’ve been placed into a temporary _guardianship_ , shall we say, over your child.”

O’Brien’s face hardened. “The hell is that supposed to mean?”

Garak answered him by flipping open the sheet covering his middle, revealing the new bump on his midsection. 

“It means your son is in very safe keeping, Chief.”

O’Brien went pale and he staggered back, eyes wide, to the nearest biobed where he promptly passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter’s got a bit of experimentation going on. Usually, I stick to one character POV for narration, but I tried my hand at a more omniscient one this time around. Will be jumping POVs a lot in this fic. Feel free to critique if it gets clumsy anywhere.

Every one of Miles’ darts hit the board with a satisfying thud. His game was off, not a single bullseye among them, but the act alone of throwing projectiles and then yanking them swiftly out of the board after—like pulling a knife from a wound—was reward enough. Julian stood off to the side, watching warily as he stalked back to the throw line. Then Miles took a readying breath.

Julian braced himself for yet another round of complaints.

“Look, I get why you had to move the baby from Keiko. I do. It’s just why _him?”_

This again. 

Julian knew it wasn’t personal. Knew that Miles was simply stressed and upset that people he cared about had come so close to disaster, and now he had to rely on a man he didn’t trust to look after his baby. Certainly, Julian wouldn’t be in a good mood if he was in the same situation with, say, Dukat, but the repetition of it was frustrating nonetheless.

He bit back any comments about how just about any other doctor in his position would have lost the baby if not Keiko as well and answered instead, “There weren’t any other good options, Miles. I’ve told you that a dozen times.”

“Well, you were there, weren’t you?”

Julian fixed him with a _look._ “I was needed for the surgery. As much as Garak would like to pretend to be all knowing, he’s not a doctor, and self surgery is a sketchy business at best. I wouldn't want to unnecessarily endanger Keiko or your son. Even taking into consideration that he’s Cardassian and the baby’s human, Garak was the best option and readily willing to go through with it, so that’s the choice we made.” 

And it was one Julian was deeply grateful for. Besides those obvious points of pure medical rationalization, he simply wasn’t sure how carrying a pregnancy would affect him, emotionally or mentally. Julian might’ve decided to keep his own uterus as a contingency in case he ever changed his mind about wanting kids, but that didn’t mean he actually felt anywhere near ready to go through with such an endeavor.

He couldn’t begin to imagine how Garak must feel about it. Even after so many years, the man he secretly shared his bed with several nights a week could still be so hard to read.

Miles huffed. “Yeah, well, still. If anyone other than Keiko was going to have my baby, I would’ve wanted it to be you.”

Miles meant it too. He knew Julian would do his best to provide and keep his son out of danger. And if that also meant Miles might have an excuse to hang around his best mate a bit more, then all the better.

Julian couldn’t hold back a grin, a wave of affection smothering any lingering annoyance. He tossed a fond look Miles’ way as he stepped up for his own turn to throw.

“What?” Miles paused mid sip to squint suspiciously at Julian.

Julian didn’t answer him, instead taking his throws and just missing the board’s center each time. When he turned back around, the smile on his face had grown wider again of its own accord. He took a sip of synthehol to try to hide it.

Miles set his glass down with a thud. _“What?”_

“Nothing. It’s just I’m flattered, Chief. I really am.”

Oh. Of course Julian would take it that way.

Miles put on a show of scoffing. “Don’t you go reading into it and getting ideas. You know what I meant.”

“Of course, Chief. But if I was going to have anyone’s baby...”

“Oh, shut it.” Miles took another nip from his drink before continuing, much more serious now. “What if Keiko or I were to get an, y'know, artificial uterus implanted?”

Julian gave him a sympathetic look.

One of the long term consequences of the accident for Keiko was that her uterus was at serious risk of a fatal rupture should she ever try to carry a pregnancy again. If that weren’t the case, then Julian would’ve been able to transfer the baby back to her within a week or two, after she’d healed enough.

“Your body would need a couple months minimum to adapt to the changes of having a completely new organ, Miles. And Keiko would still need to wait a few weeks on top of that to recover from her injuries. I’m sorry. But there’s nothing I can do.”

Miles nodded morosely, staring into his drink as Julian to retrieved his darts. He took a swig to finish it off, then lined himself up for the next round, only to pause mid motion, projectile in hand, as a thought struck him like a slap in the face. 

“My kid’s not going to come out in an egg, is it?”

Julian crossed his arms, unimpressed. “Garak’s not a lizard, Miles. Despite minor surface similarities, Cardassians belong to their own unique classification of species. They’re not any more reptiles than Bajorans are mammals.”

“Well, they sure look it. But the baby will still come out normal though?”

“I’m monitoring the situation and giving the baby everything it needs to grow up happy and healthy.”

“That’s not a yes.”

“It’s as honest an answer as I can give right now. There’s never even been a Cardassian-Human hybrid before, let alone a surrogacy.”

Truth be told, it was a fascinating case. In any other situation, Julian would be thrilled to be the lucky doctor who got to treat it, document it, and write up the scientific paper. The fact that both his best friend and his lover were involved, however, complicated things. Made it personal and all the more likely for well-meaning mistakes to happen. If it wasn't for the fact that Garak refused to be treated by anyone else, Julian would have given the responsibility to one of the other doctors under his command.

Miles wasn't satisfied with the answer. Direct, straight-forward, and simple. That's all he asked for in life. “But...no egg, right?”

"Right." That much Julian was sure of.

And with that, Miles took his first throw, just barely hitting the edge of the board.

His eyes were glued to it, working his way through his fistful of darts, as he spoke, “For what it’s worth, thank you, Julian. I _am_ relieved that Keiko and the baby are both okay. It’s just...I don’t know how to handle this next year. I mean, how do I know that he's going to take care of him right and not get blackout drunk every night or something?”

“I know it’s not easy on you, Miles. But you should really talk to Garak about this. Open a dialogue with him and tell him your concerns. At the very least, he'll hear you out, if not agree to your requests. It's the only way you're going to sleep at night."

Miles snorted dismissively, and Julian frowned.

"I mean it, Miles. You're going to need to talk to him eventually. The sooner you establish a rapport, the better. And thank him too, by the way. This can’t be easy on Garak either, being pregnant with no warning, and he was under no obligation to agree to it. Imagine if the situation was reversed and you were in his shoes.”

“I’d rather not, thank you.” 

If the situation was reversed, Miles was sure he wouldn't have agreed to having Garak's kid. Especially if there was another option readily available. And that's what made the situation all the more suspicious. Why hadn't Garak taken the easy way out? The Cardassian had to have some angle with all of this, something to gain, and it would be Miles' job to find out what.

Julian continued on, "That's why I'm telling you to talk. You never know, you may just find out he's not as disagreeable as you expect."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I know nothing about darts lol


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another remix of a scene from Body Parts. Things are going to be slightly slow as I establish where everyone’s at with each other and work through that episode, then they’ll pick up a bit. (Assume the Quark plotline of that ep still happens but without Garak.) 
> 
> Keiko & Garak chapter ahead.

Keiko had never felt so exhausted in all her life. It was as if she had somehow managed to pull every muscle in her body and then thrown herself down a flight of stairs for good measure and concussed herself. And that was despite having the damage from her accident repaired almost two full days ago.

On the whole, she felt weak and tired almost constantly; a consequence of surgery and having so many tissues repaired, she’d been assured before being ordered to several days of bedrest. It spoke to the extent of her condition that the order hadn’t even been difficult to follow.

Mostly, she’d spent the last couple of days in and out of a restless sleep, only getting up for the essentials and requiring Miles’ assistance when she did. 

Keiko hadn’t had a truly good night’s rest since Torad Five. Every time she closed her eyes and drifted off, she was back in that runabout, hull shuddering and sparks flying about, about to be knocked back off her feet and into the wall. Even just seeing the creep of steam from the shower brought back phantom memories of acrid smoke tickling at her sinuses.

It would get better with time and counseling. This, she knew from experience. Anyone who had spent any significant time around Starfleet inevitably experienced their own fair share of adventure and horror, and somehow being attached to Miles seemed to guarantee that more than most.

The months ahead, however, were a trial yet to be seen.

Keiko had been so happy when she’d realized that she was pregnant. There had been an idea running around her head for a while of finding a sibling for Molly. With all the travelling she was doing, it had seemed like it might be a good idea for her daughter to have a regular playmate instead of constantly making new friends, only to leave them again after a few months.

Of course, back then, her thoughts had been more along the lines of adopting a war orphan. She’d had the opportunity to meet many through her travels, and they were all such sweet children. Leaving them behind hurt her heart every time. Her only setback had been figuring out how to convince Miles it would be a good idea. He would be against it at first, she knew, but after a few visits to one of the orphanages, she was sure he would’ve grown attached to them soon enough. 

It was all a bit late for those ideas though. At least, for now.

In the meantime, there was her new son to worry about. There were so many unknowns—How any of this would affect the baby or Garak, and the constant worry that her son might not make it. After all, there were no records of Cardassian-human hybrids or surrogacy.

They just needed to make it the next two months, she reassured herself. The baby was only four months along right now but by the time it was six months, if things weren’t going well and they absolutely needed to, the baby could be born early and be cared for in the infirmary until he had the chance to grow a little more. 

Until then, it was only a matter of waiting and helping Garak manage with this sudden change. Stress could only add risk to the pregnancy, and besides, a stressed Garak wasn’t a pleasant Garak so it was only for everyone’s benefit that he had the support he needed.

She could only begin to imagine what must be going through his mind. He was a very private man. One who was disinclined to show any vulnerability or weakness at that, and this would be nothing but a very obvious vulnerability in his eyes. And that wasn’t even really factoring in the physical toll of it all. Who knew how pregnancies affected Cardassians? 

In her haze, Keiko just barely registered the sound of a bypass to the front door of her quarters. 

That would likely be Garak, come to see her for the first time since everything went down. His visit was very conveniently timed with Miles’ absence, she noted. She’d had to very nearly force her husband out the door to go spend some time with Julian. He meant well, but sometimes his attempts at caring became overwhelming.

She turned her head slowly as a flash of movement caught her eye. Garak was hovering near the door, looking almost nervous.

“Professor,” he greeted.

Keiko returned it with a tired smile, “Garak.”

At that, he fully entered the room, his gait only slightly awkward. Still getting used to his new center of gravity then. He was wearing a loose fitting tunic that just barely hid his middle. 

“Still alive then, I take it?” he broached.

“Barely. I feel like I've been hit by a ten ton rock, but Julian says I'll be on my feet tomorrow. How are you?”

She patted the edge of the bed to invite him to sit, and he did so stiffly.

“Well enough, though I might need to consult Doctor Bashir myself for a new exercise regiment. I’m afraid I’ve put on a little weight.” He patted his bump for emphasis, leaving a hand to rest over it.

Keiko’s eyes couldn't help but to linger. How strange it was to not just know but to really see the evidence that one of her closest friends was going to be having her baby for her. A swell of emotion overtook her as she was reminded yet again just how close they’d come to disaster and how lucky she was that everything had turned out as well as it did. Because, as she was reminded recently by Miles’ twenty years of imprisonment that had never happened, sometimes it didn’t.

“You carry it well,” she reassured him. “You know, what you're doing for me, for us…” 

She trailed off, not sure how to broach the subject without putting Garak too much on the spot. Already, he looked more uncomfortable than when he’d sat down.

She sighed and finished with simply, “I don't know how to thank you.”

“I’m sure I can think of some way for you to repay me,” he teased, enigmatic smile creeping onto his face.

“No poisonous plants.”

It was only mostly meant as a joke. 

“Such accusations!”

Garak lifted his unoccupied hand dramatically to his chest, as if he hadn’t been just a bit too interested on more than one occasion in the toxic plants Keiko had cataloged back on Bajor. 

The conversation drifted into silence as Keiko thought again of how to best get through this with all their sanities intact. Garak rubbed his hand over his bump, seeming to be in contemplation himself before reaching for Keiko’s hand and setting it over his belly.

“My dear,” he said solemnly, “I want you to know that I _will_ do everything in my power to protect and care for your child while he’s in my custody.”

Keiko nodded and much to her surprise, felt the prick of tears at her eyes. After a moment of indecision, she scooted over to make room on the bed and patted the empty space.

“I banned Miles from the house for another hour yet. Come on.”

Garak looked unsure but moved to sit next her, drawing his legs onto the bed.

Once he had settled himself, Keiko did the same, resting her head on his shoulder and setting her hand back on his belly. He sat rigid beneath her before allowing himself to relax.

“Is this alright? It’s okay if it isn’t,” she told him.

“So long as the Chief doesn’t find us like this. I imagine he might have some strong words about you letting a ‘Cardie’ into your bed.”

Keiko huffed another sigh, imagining that encounter and all the fights it would lead to. Miles wasn't even fond of her and Garak being friends.

“Well, he’ll need to learn to deal. You’re having our baby Garak. He’ll need to get comfortable around you sooner or later.”

She had a right to want to be close to her baby, and she wasn't about to let anyone stand in the way of that.

Garak answered only with a simple, "Perhaps." 

Keiko didn't push him for more. She was content enough to stay as they were, her baby between them. 

She fell asleep like that, lulled by dimness of the room and the rhythmic rise and fall of breathing. When she awoke, Miles was back home, puttering about the living area, and Garak was long gone.

**Author's Note:**

> Flying by the seat of my pants on this one. I have broad ideas as to where this is going but otherwise I’m just having fun. Kudos and comments are love.


End file.
